Pakistan court sentences woman to death for WhatsApp blasphemy
CTV
A Pakistani court sentenced a Muslim woman to death after finding her guilty of blasphemy for insulting Islam's Prophet Muhammad in text messages she sent to a friend, an official said Thursday.
The woman, Aneeqa Atteeq, was arrested in May 2020 after the man alerted police that she sent him caricatures of the Prophet -- considered sacrilegious -- via WhatsApp.
Under Pakistan's blasphemy laws, anyone found guilty of insulting the religion or religious figures can be sentenced to death. While authorities have yet to carry out a death sentence for blasphemy, just the accusation can cause riots.
According to a court order, the woman was also sentenced to 10 years in jail.
Awais Ahmed, a government official, said the court announced the verdict against Atteeq on Wednesday in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
